Let That Be A Learned Lesson

Retrospectives are structured ways to gather “lessons learned” from those who know best — the people who worked directly on a program or project. Project leaders use what was learned to improve the processes, tools, capabilities and behaviors of their organization. These improvements make future projects more successful.

Unfortunately, retrospectives are unnatural. Esteemed software consultant and author Norman Kerth, sometimes cited as the “father of retrospectives,” says, “It is not natural for us to stop, reflect and learn. … I am usually worn out at the end of one of my alligator-infested swamp-draining projects. … The act of reflecting on my just-finished project is not naturally a high priority. Yet it is the key to ensuring that my next project will have less water to drain and fewer alligators to manage.”

Despite this obstacle, investing in good retrospectives delivers three important benefits: 1) improves the capabilities of people who work on projects and the organization to which they belong; 2) recharges people and repairs damaged working relationships; and 3) fulfills the human need for ritual and closure.

Here are the four foundational steps for conducting a structured retrospective:

1.

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Let That Be A Learned Lesson

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